By Soni Daniel

Abuja—Justice A.  Umar of an Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama, yesterday, granted N100 million bail to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (retd), and two others, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged conspiracy.

Those standing trial alongside Jibrin are Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia (retd) and Rear Admiral Sheu Ahmadu (retd). They were docked alongside Harbour Bay International Limited by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday. The naval chiefs, while in office, were alleged to have bought a house worth N600 million from the account of Naval Engineering Services without the said purchase contract being captured in the budget.

It was also alleged that the documentation for transfer of ownership of the property was done in such a way that a private company owned by the family of the first defendant (Vice Admiral Jibrin) became the buyer. The offence is in contravention of Section 26 (1) (b) and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act, 2,000.

After listening to the arguments for and against the bail application, Justice Umar, who consolidated the three applications, ruled that the defendants were entitled to be granted bail as it was their constitutional right, adding that it might be revoked if any of the terms is breached.

He, therefore, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N100 million each and two sureties each in like sum. One of sureties must not be below salary grade level 16. The sureties must have landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, which must be verified by the registrar of the court and EFCC.

The accused persons are to deposit their international passports with the court. The judge also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in EFCC custody, pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.